Panel securing latch

ABSTRACT

A latch assembly for securing a sliding panel with respect to an adjacent panel. The latch assembly includes a rod which is hingeably or rotatably carried at one end within a socket affixed to one of the panels. The rod is configured at its other end to be received into a locking structure upon or in the other panel to thereby prevent movement of the sliding panel.

U United States Patent [1 1 [11.1 3,810,666 Hatcher May 14, 1974 [54] PANEL SECURING LATCH 3,267,613 8/1966 McQuiston 49/449 [76] Inventor: Victor E. l-Iatcher, 3825Ca11e Del OREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS o t Albuquerque, N. Mex. 40,326 1/1887 Germany 292/262 87110 Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin 22 Fld. A .10 1972 1 W W Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichard A. Bachand; Rob- [21] 7 App]. No.: 242,680 ert M. Betz v 52 us. Cl. .Q. .(292/262 [571 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. E05c 17/04 A latch assembly for securing a sliding panel with re- [58] Field of Search 292/262, 273, 274, 278, spect to an adjacent panel. The latch assembly in- 292/102, 335, 339, 305, DIGQ46; 49/356, cludes a rod which-is hingeably or rotatably carried at 449, 450 one end within a socket affixed to one of the panels. The rod is configured at'it's other end to be received [56] References Cited into a locking structure upon or in the other panel to UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 thereby prevent movement of the sliding panel. 710,81 1 10/1902 Scibert 292/262 X 6 Claims, Drawing Figures 1 PANEL sacumuc LATCH BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to improvements in locks, and more particularly to improvements in locks for securing a sliding panel.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art It has long been desired to provide some sort of latch or lock mechanism to secure sliding panels, such as may be encountered, for example, in sash type windows, sliding glass doors, and the like. It has been, for instance, known that a rod having two bent ends each of which is at right angles to a plane of the rod and also to each other may be used to secure a shutter or sash window. The bent ends of the rod in such device may be received or journeled into a socket so that either end may be swung into and out of engagement with its respective socket, and, since the bent ends are at right angles with each other, may easily provide a lockagainst movement in a direction along the length of the rod. Such rod fastener may,-for example, be fabricated as taught by Kendrick in his US. Pat. No. 625,304, which discloses a device which fits at one end into a hole in a sliding panel such as a sash or window, and at the other end into a hole in the frame within which the sliding panel is mounted and against which it slides.

Other control devices have been advanced which prevent relative movement of a door or the like with respect to an adjacent wall, as a stop member, or against the floor over which the door swings. An example of such device may be seen in the Graham US. Pat.'

No. 2,704,220, which illustrates a relatively complicated hinged, spring-biased mechanism which acts selectively as a door stop or to swing down and engage a receiving plate upon the floor beneath the assembly. Unlike the Kendrick mechanism which is of a single loose rod, the Graham mechanism is of relatively complicated configuration including a number of moving parts, springs, latches and so forth.

- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is another object of the invention toprovide a' panel securing mechanism which is reliable and of easy operation. v

It is yet another object of the invention-to provide a latch mechanism which includes means for retaining the mechanism in an out-of-the-way position when not in use. 1

These and other objects, features, and advantages will'become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following dctaileddescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and ap-' pended claims.

The latch mechanism, in accordance with the invention in its broad-aspect, to secure a sliding panel with respect to an adjacent panel, includes a rod member rotatably or hingedly carried upon one of the panels to present a free end rotatable in a plane parallel to the plane of the other panel. Means are provided in the other panel to engage, latch or secure the free or rotating end of the rod to prevent movement between the two panels. Also provided is a means for constraining rotational movement of the rod, with the rod in an unlatched or unsecured position to hold or store it in an out-of-the-way position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 .is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the panel securing mechanism in accordance with the principles of the invention, incorporated with a partially illustrated sliding glass door.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the panel securing mechanism, in accordance with the principles of the invention, also incorporated with. a partially illustrated sliding glass door.

FIG. 211 is a perspective view in detail of the rod receiving panel of the alternate embodiment of FIG. 2 with the rod in an engaged position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The lock mechanism, in accordance with the invention, although of use with respect to any type of sliding panels to secure same, may be particularly advantageously employed to secure two adjacent panels such as may be presented by sliding glass doors, patio doors, or the like, a portion of two adjacent sliding glass doors onto which the lock mechanism has been mounted being shown in the drawing of FIG. I. The latch mechanism, generally denoted by the reference numeral 10, may be used to secure a moving glass door panel 11 with respect to a second-glass door panel I2 which may also. slide with respect to the moving panel 11, or may be f xed relative thereto upon a base plate 13, as shown.

The latch mechanism 10 includes a rod or brace 15 which has at one of its ends a bend 16 at approximately a right angle to the axis of the rod 15. At the other end, a ball 17 isattached to the rod 15 to facilitate insertion into a socket type mounting 20. The socket mounting 20 may be mounted on the edge 21 of the door panel 11, and includes outstanding therefrom a ball receiving socket 22 into which the ball 17 of the rod 15 may be received thereby enabling the rod 15 to freely rotate in a plane parallel to the plane of the fixed door panel 12,

and, to a limited extent, in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the fixed door panel 12. Thus, the rod 15 may be raised or lowered to a position approximately parallel with the base plate 13, and inserted into a hole 25 in the fixed'door panel 12. The rod 15 may be released by simplypulling the right angle bend portion 16 from the hole 25, then rotating the rod l5 upwardly out of the way.

To secure the rod in an out-or-the-way position (not shown), an outstanding rod receiving retainer 26 mounted uponthe socket assembly plate is provided. The rod receiving retainer .26 should be of a semi-rigid r material to enable the rod 15 to be easily inserted and removed from it, but be securely retained in the inserted, out-of-the-way position.

The particular mounting of the lock mechanism may be achieved in practically any convenient manner. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, the latch mechanism 10 is illustrated and described as being mounted upon the end or jamb 21 of the sliding panel 11 with the swinging end being received in the hole 25 of the fixed or stationary panel 12. lf, on the other hand. the sliding panel 11 and stationary panel 12 are reversed in position, the stationary panel 12 being forward and the sliding panel 11 being rearward, the latch mechanism 10 may be mounted to the edge of the fixed panel 12, the rotatable end being received in an appropriate hole or the like (not shown) in the sliding panel 11. Likewise, if both panels slide, the latch mechanism 10 may be mounted on the edge of the inside or forward door, the free end being received in the outside, or rearward, door.

An alternative, but preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in H6. 2, includes a brace or rod 30, having formed at one of its ends a rightangle bend 31 and at the other end a flat screwdriver shape 32. The rod beyond the bend 31 is received in a circular bore extending horizontally through an enlarged portion of the socket 35 which may be screwed by screws 36 or otherwise attached to the edge plate 37 of the sliding door panel 11. Thus, the rod 30 is enabled by virtue of the socket 35 to rotate freely in a plane parallel to the plane of the fixed door panel 12. To facilitate such rotation, a knob 40 may be provided on the end of the rod 30 beyond the bend 31.

Because it may be desirable to provide means for retaining the rod 30 in an out-of-the-way position (not shown) when not in use, an upstanding slot 41 may be provided extending within one side of the body of the socket 35 and communicating with the circular bore therein. As illustrated, the rod 30 beyond the bend 31 may be of length sufficient to enable the rod 30 to be rotated to an upright position parallel with the end portion of the door 11 then pulled into the slot 41 by means of the knob 40 to be therewithin'retained in an out-of-the-way position.

The flat end 32 of the rod 30 is received in a receiving plate 45, screwed by screws 47 or otherwise affixed to the fixed door panel 12. The receiving plate 45 may have at least one interior cutaway portion 46 on its surface facing the panel 12 which conforms to the screwdriver or flat end shape 32 of the rod 30. Because the receiving plate 45 may be disposed to receive the flat end 32 from either direction, depending upon which panels the respective assemblies are mounted, the direction of movement of the sliding panel, and so forth, cutaway portions, as shown by reference characters 46 and 46' may be provided at either end of the receiving plate 45, if desired. Thus, as best seen in FIG. 2a in operation, the rod 30 may be moved from the slot 41 by inwardly pushing knob 40 and rotating it downwardly until its flat end 32 rests on a lower ledge 50 of the cutaway portion 46 or a similar lower ledge 50 of cutaway portion 46' of the receiving plate 45. In this position the extremity of the flatend 32 of the rod 30 abuts the upstanding surface 51 or 51'. Any movement, therefore, of the sliding door panel 11 in the direction of the plate 45 is effectively prevented by the pressure of the rod against the receiving plate 45, thereby securely locking the door.

The same considerations, of course, apply to the positioning of the latch mechanism 10 as described above with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 1, depending upon which panel is forward or inward, the direction of movement, and so forth.

It should be noted that in addition to the primary security feature of the latch or panel securing mechanism of the invention, an additional advantage exists in that if either door, the door to which the rod assembly is mounted or the door into which it is received, is raised in an attempt to foil the lock, the locking bar merely rotates about either end, but remains in the latched or locked position nonetheless.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that numerous changes and modifications will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A panel securing mechanism comprising:

a first panel;

a second panel mounted in parallel slidable relation to the first panel;

an elongated rod;

a hinge assembly carried by the first panel and by which said rod is rotatably carried at one of its ends, and a plate attached to the second panel and having a cut away portion therein to receive the other end of said rod.

2. The panel securing mechanism of claim 1 wherein said elongated rod has a flattened portion at said other one of its ends.

3. The panel securing mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a menas for receiving said rod, carried upon said hinge assembly to constrain it in a position adjacent the panel by which said hinge assembly is carried.

4. The panel securing mechanism of claim 1 wherein said-hinge assembly comprises a rod receiving socket attached to said one of said panels, .having an enlarged portion with a circular bore extending horizontally therethrough, and having an upstanding slot extending therein in communication with the bore, and wherein said elongated rod has a bent portion near said one of its ends, said rod being disposed within said circular bore, whereby said rod is free to rotate within the bore, and when said rod is rotated to a position adjacent the upstanding slot it may be inserted thereinto to retain its position thereat.

5. A panel securing mechanism comprising:

a first panel;

a second panel mounted in parallel slidable relation to the first panel;

a rod having abend at one end thereof and a flat portion at the other end thereof;

a rod receiving socket carried by the first panel adapted to rotatably receive said rod adjacent said bend, whereby said rod is enabled to rotate in a plane parallel to'the plane of the second panel; and

a plate carried by the second panel having a cutaway cured 'within the slot in an out-of-the-way position.

* 8 l Ik 

1. A panel securing mechanism comprising: a first panel; a second panel mounted in parallel slidable relation to the first panel; an elongated rod; a hinge assembly carried by the first panel and by which said rod is rotatably carried at one of its ends, and a plate attached to the second panel and having a cut away portion therein to receive the other end of said rod.
 2. The panel securing mechanism of claim 1 wherein said elongated rod has a flaTtened portion at said other one of its ends.
 3. The panel securing mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a menas for receiving said rod, carried upon said hinge assembly to constrain it in a position adjacent the panel by which said hinge assembly is carried.
 4. The panel securing mechanism of claim 1 wherein said hinge assembly comprises a rod receiving socket attached to said one of said panels, having an enlarged portion with a circular bore extending horizontally therethrough, and having an upstanding slot extending therein in communication with the bore, and wherein said elongated rod has a bent portion near said one of its ends, said rod being disposed within said circular bore, whereby said rod is free to rotate within the bore, and when said rod is rotated to a position adjacent the upstanding slot it may be inserted thereinto to retain its position thereat.
 5. A panel securing mechanism comprising: a first panel; a second panel mounted in parallel slidable relation to the first panel; a rod having a bend at one end thereof and a flat portion at the other end thereof; a rod receiving socket carried by the first panel adapted to rotatably receive said rod adjacent said bend, whereby said rod is enabled to rotate in a plane parallel to the plane of the second panel; and a plate carried by the second panel having a cutaway portion adapted to engage the flat portion of said rod when rotated downwardly thereonto.
 6. The panel securing mechanism of claim 5 wherein said rod receiving socket has an upstanding slot extending therein, whereby when said rod is rotated to a position away from said plate it may be interfitted and secured within the slot in an out-of-the-way position. 